City and rural mail box



J. E. JACKSON CITY AND RURAL MAIL BOX Filed Oct. 1. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. E. JACKSON I CITY .AND RURAL MAIL BOX Filed Oct. 1 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 MTNESSES 3140\34'11'06 Jase o h Jackson attorney J. E. JACKSQN CITY AND RURAL MAIL BOX Filed 001;, 1 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jase m 5 Jae/45011 Patented Oct; 21, 1924.

JOSEPH E. JACKSON, 0'! GALESBURG, ILLINOIS.

CITY AND RURAL MAIL BOX.

Application filed Gctober 1, 1923. Serial No. 665,927.

structures which will be exposed upon operation of the receiving opening closure, and

which-is reset when the closure of the re- 15 I movable opening is actuated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel device of this character which is simple in construction, eflicient, advanfigeous in practice and comparatively inexensive to manufacture.

A still further object of the invention is to rovide the box with a receiving opening inc uding means whereby mail may be in serted inwardly therethrough but may not be extracted out of the opening, said opening also being constructed so' tl1 at comparatively large mail may be inserted there through such as magazines and the like. With the above and numerous other objects in view as Will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the mail box embodying my invention; v

"Figure 2 is a fragmentary sideelevation thereof showingthe signal in an operative position and the closure of the mail receiving opening in an open position;

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the signal in an operative position and the two closures in an open position;

Figure dis a similar view showing the signal in aninoperativc position and the closures in a closed position;

Figure 5 is a front elevation of the upper 'portion of the box;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the box with the closure raised that is movable over the receiving opening;

Figure 4 is a section therethrough; and

Figure 8 is a similar section taken at-a' differentpoint.

Referring to the drawing in detail it Willbe seen that the mail box is indicated at I mounted on a suitable post 2 by means of plates 3 which are permanently fixed to the sides of the box 1 and project rearwardly therefrom so as to be disposed along side of the post and held in engagement therewith by screws 4 or other fastening means.

The upper end of this box l is openas isv disclosed to advantage in Figures 7 and 8 in fact there are two openings, one indicated at 5 which is the mail receiving opening and the other indicated at e which is the mail removal opening. A closure is provided forthe mail-receiving opening in the form of a plate 7 having teeth 8 at its free edge. This plate 7 is normally held in a closed position by springs 9. A closure 10 i hinged at 11 intermediatethe front and rear walls of the box "over the mail removal opening 6 and its rear edge is disposed so as to overlie the free edge of the plate 7.

Thus this plate 7 may only be pushed downwardly for insertion of mail and may not be pulled upwardly forthe removal of mail. The rear edge of the closure 10 which overlies-the free edge of the plate 7 is provided with teeth 13 so thatit will be dangerous for a person to insert his hand into the mail box through the mail receiving opening because uponthe withdrawal of the hand the same will be caught by the teeth 8 and 13.

This mail receiving opening and its clos ure plate 7 are constructed large enough sothat ordinary mail may be' inserted in the box. The size of the ordinary mail box, however, would prevent the reception through this opening of large] magazines. In order to allow for the insertion of such magazines I provide the closure hinged to the under side of the closure 10 for closing this opening 14 The closure plate 15 is normally held in the closed position by spring 16. The free edge of this closure is provided with teeth 17 which will normally -10 with a seen-circular opening 14 and plate 15 IS overlie the adjacent teeth 8 of'the closure plate 7. With the aid of this additional opening 14 it is evident that larger magazines may be rolled up and inserted into the mailbox through the opening 14: and a portion of the opening 5.

A storm closure 18 is hinged to the upper rear wall of the box 1 and when closed will overlie the openings 5 and 14:80 that in order to put mail into the box it is necessary to lifi: this closure 18. U p

v indicating device or target 20 is hinged the rear wall of the box 1 and in its nonin Figure 4 that is so as to overlie the storm closure 18. A stop bar 21 is fixed to the rear wallof the box 1 and is slanted rearwardly therefrom'and extends above the box so that when the target 20 is swung to a raised or indicating position it will rest against this stop as is clearly shown inFigure 2. Under normal conditions the box is in the position shown in Figure 4 that is when the box is empty. When the mail man delivers the mail it is necessary to raise the closure 18 thus placing thetarget in an indicating position so that it may be seen from a distanceand the occupant of the house or residence will know, that mail has been delivered. When the target is in its indicated position the spring lip 21' frictionally engages the stop bar 21 thus preventing the same from being blown or easily moved to its nonindicatin position. 4

In or er to remove, the mail from the box 1 it is necessary to raise the closure 10 by removal of a pad lock 24 or other suitable locking means. ll, therefore, provide this closure 10 with engaging means for association with the target sothat when said closure 10 is replaced in its closed position it will bring the target to a downward or nonindicating position. This engaging means consists of a dog 25 pivoted in brackets 26 and retained in an active position by a spring 27. The target 20 is provided with a slot 28 through which the dog will go when the closure 10 is raised and a latclr-29 of the dog 25 will engage the bottom edge of this slot as shown to advantage in Figure 8. As the closure 10 is moved to a closed posi tion from that position shown in Figure 3 it will be seen thatthe dog 25 will disengage from the bottom edge of the slot 28 of the target when the target has been moved sufliciently so that it will swing to a closed position of its own accord. It 18 also to be noted that the target will move the-storm closure 18 to a closed position when actuated to a non-indicating position as just described.

While the preferred embodiment of my invention has been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, material,

'indicating position will be disposed as shown amass? ceiving and removal openings, closures for said openings, an indicator actuated to an indicating position by one of said closures, and means associated with the other closure for engaging the indicator and returning it to a non-indicating position when said closure just mentioned is moved to an open and closed position.

2. A city and rural mail box having receiving and removal openings, closures for said openings, an indicator actuated to an indicating position by one of said closures, means associated with the other closure for engaging thev indicator and returning it to a non-indicating position when said closure just mentioned is moved to an open and closed position and also returning the first closure, that is, the one that-actuates the indicator to an indicating position to a closed position simultaneously with the indicator being moved to a non-indicating position.

3. A city and rural mailbox having receiving and removal openings, an indicator hinged to the box,ja closure for the removal opening of the box, a secondclosure for the receiving opening of the box disposed between the first closure and the indicator, so that when the second closure is raised it will move the indicator to an indicating position and means on the first closure for en-- gaging the indicator whensaid first closure israised to an open position whereby said indicator will be returned to a non-indicating position and said second closure moved to closed position when the first closure is returned to a closed position.

4:. A city and rural mail box having receiving and removal openings a closure for the removal opening, an. indicator hin ed to the box, a spring pressed dog on the c osure adapted to engage the indicator Wheniin an indicating position when the closure is open so that upon closure of the closure the indicator will be returned to a non-indicating position all in the manner and for the purpose specified.

5. A city and rural mail box having re- Sill Illtl ceiving and removal openings, a closure for said removal opening, a spring-pressed closure plate for said receiving opening, said closure provided with an opening communieating with the receiving opening in the box and a 'spri'ngpressed closure associated therewith all inthe manner and for the purpose specified.

6. A city and rural mail box havin rolift) ceiving and removal openings, a closure for the removal opening, an indicator hlnged to 'the box, a'stop bar fixed to the 'boz'z' so that when said indlcator is raised to an indicating position it will rest against said stopbar, and

' means on the closure for engaging the indi:

cator when it is disposed in an indicating position and said closure is raised to an open position whereby when said closure is returned to a closed position it will actuate the indicator to return to a non-indicating positionallin the manner and for the purpose specified.

7 A city and rural mail box having receiving and removal openings, a closure for the removal opening, an indicator hinged to.

i the box, a stop bar fixed to the box so that when said indicator is raised'toan indicating position it will rest against said stop bar, means on the closure forengaging the indicator when it is disposed in an indicating po-' sition and said closure is raised to an open position whereby when said closure is returned to a .closedposition it will actuate the indicator to return to a non-indicating position said means including a springpressedlatch.

8; A city and rural mail box having reis returned to a closed position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

RALPH F. JACKSON, RUTH D. JAoKsox; I

JOSEPH E. JACKSON] a slot, a 

